Distribution pattern of PAHs in Jiulong River Estuary by both measurement and simulation

The concentration of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) of nine water samples, collected in the Jiulong River Estuary in December, 2011, were analyzed using the SPE-GC-MS method. The results showed that the concentration range of total dissolved PAHs(PAHs) was from 157.9 to 858.0 ng/L. The horizontal distribution illustrated that the concentration of PAHs decreased as salinity increased. Based on ratio analysis, PAHs have complicated sources. A Level Ⅲ fugacity model was developed to simulate the multimedia fate of PAHs and to study the air-water exchange fluxes of three PAHs(phenanthrene, pyrene, benzoapyrene) in the Jiulong River Estuary. The calculated concentration of PAHs was similar to that measured in this study or reported in earlier literature. At 16℃, the net atmosphere deposition fluxes of these PAHs were 17.38, 7.86 and 8.38g/day/m2. Phenanthrene was predominant in the atmospheric deposition. The net atmospheric deposition fluxes of these PAHs all decreased with temperature. When the temperature was above 32.0℃, benzoapyrene was released from the water into the air.